


Say My Name

by easybakedoodles (Madrugada98)



Series: Sahvei Lavellan: The Arrow Flies True [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, just talking about names !
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 14:03:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18316721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madrugada98/pseuds/easybakedoodles
Summary: Sahvei is curious about Solas' name, and maybe thinking too hard about names.





	Say My Name

“Who chose your name?” She asks, leaning against the stone barrier, looking out on the snow covered village. He doesn’t answer right away, so she turns her head to look at him properly.

“Excuse me?” He doesn’t sound angry at least, more astonished that she asked.

“Who chose your name? I know not everyone takes the privilege of choosing your own name, like me, but I do wonder who chose your name, and why they picked Solas. It’s a very handsome name, don’t get me wrong, but I feel as though they’ve set you up for some higher ambition before you could even decide,” She knows she shouldn’t make any assumptions about his life before they met, before the Inquisition, but naming a child  _ pride  _ feels a bit pressuring, even to her.

“So you know the meaning then?”

“Of course, you may think of us as silly children, but we have what they’ve written, and we’re doing our best to keep it alive. And of course when picking my own name, I had to do more research into it. Bugged our clan’s first for weeks, begging for him to read things to me. I do wonder what you’d think of the clan that only speaks in Elvhen, right pain during the Arlathvhen, but you’d probably think they’re wrong in their translation,” She grinned, thinking of Solas’ disapproving frown at hearing her own incorrect pronunciations of Elvhen.

“You jest, yet there are very few who fail to even pronounce  _ aneth ara _ and  _ dareth shiral _ properly,” He gives her a wry, teasing, smile.

“Oh you’re just a perfectionist. Give us a few centuries to build up the language again. Besides, who’s to say language is a deciding factor in a culture? Fereldens would never admit it, but Common’s changed so much over the last few decades alone, does that mean they are no longer true Fereldens?”

“You make a point, da’len, but we were not always  _ shem,  _ despite losing our immortality. Ours was an empire meant to last millenia,” He looked sad, finally having had joined her at the barrier.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” She said, reminding him of the original topic.

“Ah, yes.” He pauses, seemingly deciding how to answer, “It was given to me by my mother, she hoped it would remind me whenever I was unsure of myself, of how she felt about me. That she was always proud,”

“She sounds important to you. What happened to her?” She asked, suddenly unsure.

“She was killed, our people have never been able to evade death forever, no matter how much we wish otherwise,”

“I am sorry to hear that,” She said, feeling remorse for reminding him of someone he’d lost.

“She is still with me, in my memories, she is not forgotten. Besides, thanks to her gift, I will always remember her wish for me. So even if death separates us, I can not be sad for long,” He said, looking off in the distance, his eyes sliding past the town below, gazing farther.

“Solas,” She said, testing the word on her lips. He can only nod in reply, that one, at least, she can pronounce correctly. She looked like she wanted to say more, but could not put words to her thoughts.

“I hope that answer was to your satisfaction,” He said, wondering what she was holding back, hoping this might prompt her.

“Yes, yes, of course. I appreciate learning more about you, Solas. If you’ll excuse me, I should get back to work,” She said, still looking slightly lost as she pulled back.

“Sahvei,” He said before she could fully turn away, “I will be here should you have need of me,” He finished weakly, hoping she would forgive his awkwardness. He blushed slightly, realizing how forward it had been of him to blurt her name like that, but judging by her smile, it had been what she needed. Someone to remember she was still herself, underneath the pressure of the world.

“Thank you, Solas,” Sahvei bowed slightly to him, before turning to walk away, with what looked like lighter steps than those she arrived with.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! if you enjoyed this, please come talk to me @drvgongay on tumblr!


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